Shloka 3

अध्याय 91: अरिष्ट-लक्षण, मृत्यु-संस्कार, पाशुपत-धारणा तथा ओङ्कार-उपासना

Devanagari script

अरिश्मवन्तम् आदित्यं रश्मिवन्तं च पावकम् यः पश्यति न जीवेद्वै मासादेकादशात्परम्

Transliteration

ariśmavantam ādityaṃ raśmivantaṃ ca pāvakam yaḥ paśyati na jīvedvai māsādekādaśātparam

Translation

Whoever beholds the Sun as “without rays” and the sacred Fire as “radiant with rays”—having met this inauspicious reversal of the cosmic order—does not live beyond eleven months.

Word by Word

• ariśmavantam: without rays (rayless)

• ādityam: the Sun

• raśmivantaṃ: endowed with rays, radiant

• ca: and

• pāvakam: the purifying fire (Agni)

• yaḥ: whoever

• paśyati: sees, beholds

• na: not

• jīvet: would live

• vai: indeed

• māsāt: from/after (a period of) months

• ekādaśāt: eleven

• param: beyond

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Aditya (Sun)
• Agni (Fire)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames a core Shaiva principle: when the signs of ṛta (cosmic order) appear inverted, the pashu (bound soul) should seek refuge in Pati—Shiva—through Linga-centered worship, purification, and corrective rites to restore auspiciousness.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

By highlighting the Sun and Fire as pillars of order, it implies Shiva-tattva as the transcendent regulator of all powers: when worldly lights fail or appear distorted, only Shiva as Pati remains the stable ground beyond changing phenomena.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It points to arishta-śānti (pacificatory observances): maintaining śauca (purity), mantra-japa, and Linga-puja with disciplined senses—Pashupata-style restraint—to loosen pasha (bondage) and avert calamity.